Urban planning project in Burj Hammoud

The Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) and the UN-Habitat have teamed up to develop an urban planning project in Burj Hammoud that aims at empowering the community by putting in execution a solar system to power the street lighting and communal spaces. The purpose of this project is to reduce the energy bill, ensure the continuous energizing of the space, and render the community more resilient.

The project aims to enhance the environmental conditions of host and refugee populations settled in Maraach neighborhood (in the Burj Hammoud municipality) through upgrading basic services adopting durable solutions, and through the active engagement and skills development of municipalities and communities. One of the expected outputs of the project is to provide the densely-inhabited neighborhood with a Photovoltaic Solar System to provide clean electrical power generation, mainly for lighting five alleyways and communal spaces which will contribute to the reduction of the electricity bill as well as enhance the well-being, safety and comfort of the life of the local population; the lighting will also create an inviting environment for pedestrian and visitors to access the alleyways and shop from the existing outlets. The facility on which the PV panels will be installed is the Martyr’s Armenian Church, also known as “Karasun Manuk”.

The aim of this project is to provide a densely-inhabited neighborhood in Burj Hammoud with a hybrid on-roof centralized Photovoltaic Solar System (on-grid & battery) to provide clean renewable electric power generation for the lighting of 5 selected alleyways at street level and communal spaces in the Maraach Neighborhood. The solar panels of both PV systems will be located on the rooftop of the Martyrs Armenian Church in Maraach which was previously Forty Martyr’s Sunday school. In addition to the solar system, Waterproofing works were conducted on the Karasun Manuk church roof as well as revamping of the electrical room.

The project is divided into two different systems:

System 1: AC coupled off-grid system that will feed the lighting load in the five selected streets

System 2: optimal on-grid photovoltaic system to reduce the diesel and EDL consumption (from the highest consumed EDL meter of the Martyr’s Armenian Church facility).